


SNILY UP FOR ADOPTION!

by Glowstar826 (orphan_account)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bitter Severus Snape, Charms, Classical Music, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Dancing, Dark Severus Snape, Death, Dialogue Heavy, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Lily Evans Potter/Severus Snape, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fighting, First War with Voldemort, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Good Albus Dumbledore, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Intelligence - Freeform, Lily Evans Potter & Severus Snape Friendship, Lily Evans Potter is a Good Friend, Love, Loving Marriage, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), Music, No Bashing, No Incest, No Sex, No Slash, No Smut, Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter), POV Lily Evans Potter, POV Severus Snape, Past James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Potions, Pregnant Lily Evans Potter, Remus Lupin & Severus Snape Friendship, Romance, Romantic Angst, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Friendship, Severus Snape & James Potter Friendship, Slow Dancing, Spy Severus Snape, Spying, Time Travel, Transfiguration, Violence, Violins, War, violin playing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:02:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24748039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Glowstar826
Summary: Severus Snape succumbed to Nagini's bite. He expected to finally be at peace, but the universe had different ideas and decided to place him during the time period right before he called Lily the M-word. Little does he know that Lily has some secrets up her sleeve as well.ABANDONED AND UP FOR ADOPTION!
Relationships: Lily Evans Potter/Severus Snape
Comments: 41
Kudos: 78





	1. Severus's Prologue

Severus was extremely content with seeing those beautiful eyes before he succumbed to the venom.

He wasn't so happy about ending up here, though. Of all places, _here_! What did he do to deserve _this_ again? Didn't he atone for his mistakes? Maybe this was Hell, and Hell was making him relive his worst moment.

"All right, Snivellus?" James Potter asked.

Severus remembered this moment. He remembered it all too well. Last time, he had armed himself with his wand, but Potter had quickly Disarmed him. This time, he'd confuse that arrogant git out of his mind with his brilliant wit and sarcasm he had acquired over the years. It would be a lie to say that he didn't think of what he should've done in this situation. He had it all planned out. Severus lifted his head up and looked Potter directly in the eye. He was glad to see that the idiot seemed a bit unnerved by this.

"Yes, Potter. Glad to see that you care enough to ask." Severus was surprised at how high-pitched his voice was compared to his adult voice. He really wished he still had that intimidating tone that he frequently used with his students. He bet that he would've made the berks piss themselves if he had that evil aura he possessed as an adult. Oh, well. He'd just have to work with what he got. He could do that.

Potter, on the other hand, looked shocked, which was Severus's intended effect. To add to the confusion, the former spy allowed himself a smirk.

Potter seemed to be struggling to come up with a retort. Black, of course, always backed up Potter, so _he_ came through with an insult instead. Severus laughed inwardly, knowing that those insufferable teenagers wouldn't be able to hurt him the way they had hurt him in the past.

"Since when have you become so _boring_ , Snivelly?" _Is_ that _all you've_ got _, Black?_ Severus thought, thoroughly amused. _Nothing you say can hurt me anymore._

Smiling genuinely now, Severus stood up and added even _more_ to the Marauders' confusion. He wished he was at his adult height so that he could loom over the imbeciles like the overgrown bat he was ceremoniously labeled as by his students, but his words would most certainly make up for it. They certainly did when he made the first-years cry themselves to exhaustion.

"Since forever, actually." Severus shrugged his shoulders casually, which felt odd to him as this was an alien gesture. "I'm surprised you even noticed, with you and your little friends constantly coming up with _pathetic_ ways to humiliate me." Severus looked around. No crowd had started to form, which was good. That meant he was handling everything properly. He continued.

"You know, just because you're bored doesn't mean you get to try and hex me to satisfy your insatiable desires. I never knew you to stoop so low as to attack someone when they aren't armed or even prepared to be. Tut, tut, Potter. It seems your head really _is_ as fat as Lily says it is." With that, Severus picked up his things and walked away from the tree leaving Potter, Black, and that traitorous rat, Pettigrew, gobsmacked. Unbeknownst to him, though, Lupin hid a smirk.

Now he had to decide what to do about his strained friendship with Lily. Since the crowd hadn't formed, Lily wasn't attracted to the attention. Therefore, she was somewhere else.

Finally spotting her at the edge of the Great Lake, he jogged up to meet her. As he got closer, butterflies started to form in his stomach. He quickly quelled his excitement, or else Lily would find it strange. After all, she never experienced what _he_ did.

"Lily! Can I talk to you for a second?" Severus called out, trying not to sound too choked up at the thought of _finally_ talking to her again.

Her head turned to him, and that beautiful mane of fiery red hair whipped around in the sunlight, making her luscious locks gleam radiantly not unlike rubies. Those emerald eyes focused on his onyx ones, and his whole heart melted. He didn't notice her other friends giving him hateful glares. It was all he could do to restrain himself.

"All right, Sev," her wonderful voice replied to him. She turned to her friends. "Don't worry. I won't be long." Oh God, it had been so _long_ since he heard that beautiful, pure voice. But he had to act normal. He _needed_ to act normal, or else he might just drive her away again.

"How did your O.W.L.'s go?" he asked in the most casual voice he could muster.

Lily made a face akin to surprise. After a moment, she replied, "Great, actually! I think I did well, but I don't know whether I did too well on Transfiguration, though."

"I'm sure you did fine," Severus replied dismissively, knowing how bright she was in the past. "Listen. Come with me to the castle. I need to talk to you about something important."

"Okay," Lily replied, her voice suggesting even more confusion than earlier. "But what for?" Severus wasn't surprised at her apprehension. He knew he wasn't as moody as he was in the past. Thank goodness he had Minerva for company. _She_ certainly shaped him up to be more intimidating than moody. As she followed him all the way inside, he replied to her.

"You'll see. Let's go to the Astronomy Tower," Severus suggested. "There's more privacy up there."

Once the pair reached the top of the Astronomy Tower, Severus faced Lily. Again, he was restraining himself the best he could.

Severus tried his best to remember what criticisms Lily had about his company. "I've been thinking about what you told me lately," he improvised, "about Mulciber and Avery, and I'm starting to realize that you're right."

At this, Lily had a wide grin. "That's great!"

"But," Severus continued, "I don't think I can cut them off." Lily's face fell again.

"Listen, it has nothing to do with joining the Death Eaters or anything!" Severus hurriedly explained, not wanting to risk shattering their friendship _again_. "I still have to share my dorm with them, you know. It's easy for you to say because you're in a different house, so you don't face the kind of danger I face." Severus realized that being a spy brought a _lot_ of valuable knowledge of different things to the table, namely the knowledge of acting. If he could play a role as a Death Eater while simultaneously protecting the students of Hogwarts, he'd be able to deal with Mulciber and Avery. He was _sure_ of it!

"But surely, Dumbledore could protect you," Lily argued. "All you'd need to do is ask."

Dumbledore. _Dumbledore_. Severus would forever be grateful to that sweets-loving man. Yes, he might have manipulated him at first, but he protected him all the same. He really started _caring_ as the years went on. Albus Dumbledore was the only man Severus could _truly_ confide in during his years as a spy. He missed him quite a bit, too. Killing him on _his orders_ was probably one of the hardest things Severus ever had to do. Subsequently being called a coward by Harry Potter didn't help to quell his misery. But no. Talking to Dumbledore would be the last thing he'd do at this moment. He'd just have to resume his role and fool Mulciber and Avery. He'd talk to Dumbledore later.

"No," Severus finally replied. "No. It's not that simple, Lily."

There was a long silence between them. Severus shuffled his feet, which was yet _another_ alien gesture that he hadn't realized he was capable of doing. Who knew that settling into his old teenage habits would come so easily? It was probably Lily's presence which was making him oddly nervous in this way. After all she _did_ have a fiery temper. Finally, after a few minutes, Lily looked up. "I saw you putting Potter in his place, y'know. That was _brilliant_! Never have I seen you react in such a calm and collected fashion! You're normally throwing hexes and curses at them. Who are you and what have you done with Severus Snape?"

Severus smiled a little smile of pride, extremely pleased that Lily was pleased with his behavior. "Lily, all I did was realize that, by throwing hexes and curses at them, I was giving them what they wanted. So, I decided to confuse the arrogant bastards by simply responding with some well-crafted wit, if I _do_ say so myself."

Lily playfully smacked him. "And you call _them_ arrogant? No, no, I'm kidding," she said as she saw Severus tense up. "It's just so _good_ to have you back! You don't know how _long_ I've been waiting!" She then pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. "You don't know how _much_ I've missed my best friend," she added quietly.

Severus readily returned the embrace, closing his eyes and taking in everything: her soft touch, her sweet smell, and her uncanny ability to make everyone around her smile. It was surreal, this was. Maybe this wasn't Hell after all, Severus decided.

After they finally pulled away, Lily looked grave. "About what you said earlier, about it not being so simple. What do you mean?"

Severus thought for a moment, trying to craft an answer that wouldn't confuse Lily or make her suspicious. He'd certainly tell her at some point about his real age, but now wasn't the right moment. It would be extremely weird for him to tell her at this moment that he was really a 38-year-old man and not a 16-year-old boy. His response to her question was slow and deliberate.

"You know how aspiring Death Eater children are. People like Mulciber, Avery, and Rosier are set in their ways, determined to follow in their parents' footsteps. They think I'm part of it, so if I start to openly back out, they'll seek their vengeance. The ending result won't be pretty." The former Potions Master sighed and ran a hand through his hair and immediately took it out, disgusted at how greasy his hair currently was. He wiped his hand on his robes while grimacing. His adult hair wasn't _nearly_ as greasy as his hair was now. Did he _really_ neglect his hygiene so _much_? _I really_ do _need a shower_ , Severus thought. _Maybe the "greasy" part of my label was there for a reason_.

Lily sighed. "I understand, Sev, but how are you going to do it? How'll you avoid their wrath?"

Severus, for the first time ever, smiled a cocky smile that could've made James Potter have a run for his money. "Simple, Lily," he said smoothly. "I play pretend."


	2. Lily's Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Since so many of you have requested another chapter and it's already reached _OVER 200 HITS_ (you guys are really the best), here's the prologue from Lily's perspective! Enjoy!**

The last thing she heard from her husband...

" _Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off_ —"

The last thing she saw...

" _Not Harry! Please...have mercy...have mercy..._ "

Harry.

What happened to Harry?

Lily looked around at her new surroundings, surveying the scene in front of her. She looked down at herself; she was wearing her Hogwarts robes...but why? She felt the presence of her Gryffindor friends sitting on either side of her. She felt a certain déjà vu, as if she already lived through this day once…

That was when she spotted Severus. Her old friend-turned-Death Eater. Sitting against the tree trunk, his nose buried in a book. With a terrible realization, she felt a pit forming in her stomach.

It was _that_ day, wasn't it? The day he called her the unforgivable: " _Mudblood_." The day that their friendship ended once and for all. Maybe she could convince him to change, switch sides...anything! She fully turned around and was about to approach him when she heard James's teenaged voice:

"All right, Snivellus?"

 _Oh, no_ , she thought. _Not this again! NO!_ Quickly, she started to gather her things when she abruptly stopped at what came next:

"Yes, Potter. Glad to see that you care enough to ask." _What?_ This wasn't what she remembered. This wasn't the Severus she knew from school. He sounded so...sure of himself. So... _calm_. This wasn't the vengeful Severus from fifth year. He seemed...older, more mature, more—

"Since when have you become so _boring_ , Snivelly?" Sirius asked. Lily was nonplussed. In the past, James _never_ struggled with a retort! This was getting more and more puzzling by the minute. Then she saw Severus... _smile_? Genuinely? What was going on? This was totally different to what happened that day! Severus _definitely_ seemed more mature than he was five years ago. But...why?

"Since forever, actually." Severus replied, standing up. His casual tone frightened Lily a little bit. This was so... _strange_. "I'm surprised you even noticed, with you and your little friends constantly coming up with _pathetic_ ways to humiliate me." Lily found herself marveling at Severus's rebuttal. That was a _good_ comeback, even if she did say so herself.

"You know," Severus continued, "just because you're bored doesn't mean you get to try and hex me to satisfy your insatiable desires. I never knew you to stoop so low as to attack someone when they aren't armed or even prepared to be. Tut, tut, Potter. It seems your head really _is_ as fat as Lily says it is."

Lily barely stopped herself from defending James when her logical senses kicked in. _This isn't the same man you married_ , she reminded herself. _This teenaged version of James actually_ deserves _what Severus is giving him. And it's not like he's resorting to jinxes and hexes like he did before. This is a good thing, Lily!_

 _It is_ , Lily replied to herself. Then, she saw Severus gathering his things and walking away from the situation, and she was left gobsmacked.

She didn't know what to think. How on Earth did Severus become such a calm and collected person? He did a complete 180! She turned back and gazed at the Great Lake. Lily ran a hand through her hair and calmed herself.

"Lily! Can I talk to you for a second?" she heard Severus call, and she whipped around to face him. Frantically thinking of what she could say, she quickly replied.

"Sure, Sev!"

"How did your O.W.L.'s go?" he asked. At that question, Lily was stumped. She barely remembered her O.W.L. scores, and now she was supposed to tell him how she thought she did?

"Great, actually! I think I did well, but I don't know whether I did too well on Transfiguration, though," she decided to reply.

"I'm sure you did fine," Severus replied dismissively, waving his hand as if he knew she'd do well. That was a bit flattering, to say the least. "Listen. Come with me to the castle. I need to talk to you about something important."

_Important? Oh, no. He must be wanting to confess that he wants to join the Death Eaters! I have to stop him! This is my chance!_

Apprehensively, Lily replied, "Okay. But what for?" She wanted to get a hint, _any_ hint that could confirm her suspicions. Unfortunately, Severus decided to remain ambiguous.

"You'll see. Let's go to the Astronomy Tower. There's more privacy up there." Then, Severus turned around and started walking up to the castle. She followed him from behind.

Once they reached the Tower, Severus faced her. After a moment, he started speaking. "I've been thinking about what you told me lately about Mulciber and Avery, and I'm starting to realize that you're right."

A weight was lifted from her chest. Was this an alternate universe or something like that? What Severus just told her was wonderful, _beautiful_ music to her ears. Sweet relief flooded her. She could just kiss him for what he just said!

"That's great, Sev!" she replied a little too enthusiastically.

"But," Severus continued, "I don't think I can cut them off." _What?_

He seemed to register her worry, for he quickly replied, "Listen, it has nothing to do with joining the Death Eaters or anything!"

Lily let out an exhale of relief. Severus continued.

"I still have to share my dorm with them, you know. It's easy for you to say because you're in a different house, so you don't face the kind of danger I face."

Lily thought about this for a moment, and she realized that Severus was right. She didn't want to put him in danger. She knew he was already in too deep, so she tried to reassure him.

"But surely, Dumbledore could protect you. All you'd need to do is ask." She hoped that this could convince him, but she knew how stubborn he could be.

Severus had a thoughtful frown on his face. After a minute or two, "No. No. It's not that simple, Lily."

Lily couldn't think of what to say to that. Again, she found herself horribly confused. So, what was it? Would he _join_ the Death Eaters, or _wouldn't_ he? There was a long silence between them. Wanting to change the subject, Lily told Severus, "I saw you putting Potter in his place, y'know. That was _brilliant_! Never have I seen you react in such a calm and collected fashion! You're normally throwing hexes and curses at them. Who are you and what have you done with Severus Snape?" She was truly, _truly_ incredulous at Severus's change in behavior. Her gut told her that Severus might have also landed here from the future, but that would mean he... _died_. She blinked, trying to get rid of that awful thought. No. Severus _couldn't_ have died. He couldn't!

"Lily," he said softly, sounding much more mature than a 16-year-old boy, "I just realized that, by throwing hexes and curses at them, I was giving them what they wanted. So, I decided to confuse the arrogant bastards by simply responding with some well-crafted wit, if I _do_ say so myself."

"And you call _them_ arrogant?" Lily asked, hitting his arm lightly. "No, no, I'm kidding," she added hurriedly as she saw Severus tensing up. "It's just so _good_ to have you back! You don't know how _long_ I've been waiting!"

As she said this, a warm feeling coursed through Lily's veins, and she definitely knew that she had her best friend back. So, she did the only thing she _could_ do: hug him.

"You don't know how _much_ I've missed my best friend," she added, truly grateful to have Severus back.

As she leaned against his chest, she could hear his heart beating just a little faster, but still steady. She took in his familiar smoky wood scent, which probably came from his constant potion brewing. His posture and the way he held himself, though, was no longer that of a boy who was ridiculed and teased, but of a man who went to Hell and back. The way he held her was of a reverent nature which she never imagined could come from Severus until now. The way he rested his chin on her shoulder paralleled the way her chin rested on his. Two puzzle pieces were reunited, and the pieces held each other once more.

After what felt like a tranquil eternity, the two friends pulled apart. Then, Lily took a deep breath and let it out.

"About what you said earlier, about it not being so simple. What does it mean?"

Severus's face hardened instantly. "You know how aspiring Death Eater children are," he spat out bitterly. "People like Mulciber, Avery, and Rosier are set in their ways, determined to follow in their parents' footsteps. They think I'm part of it, so if I start to openly back out, they'll seek their vengeance. The ending result will be...unsatisfying, to say the least." She saw Severus run a hand through his hair and wipe it on his robes with a grimace.

With a sigh, Lily replied, "I understand, Sev, but how are you going to do it? How'll you avoid their wrath?"

Severus smiled a cocky smile that was worse than James's whenever he swaggered through the halls. "Simple, Lily," he said confidently. "I play pretend."

Lily smiled back at him when he saw the genuine look on her best friend's face. "I like the sound of that, Sev. I like the sound of that."


	3. Mulciber, Avery, Rosier, and Wilkes

Severus looked at the stone patch and paced back and forth in front of it. Being transported back into the past had its aggravating moments, and this was one of them. After a long while of thinking, though, Severus face-palmed himself and nonverbally cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and waited for the next Slytherin to come and mutter the password.

What ensued after he made his declaration to Lily was quite anticlimactic. They both ended the conversation quickly and went their separate ways for the evening. He had gone to the library after the information reached him (by word of mouth) that there was a written Charms O.W.L. next. That's where he stayed for the rest of the day until examination time came. He hoped that he could talk to Lily again, but he knew he'd have to take control of the situation of Mulciber, Avery, and Rosier first. That was his most important priority at the moment. As much as it pained him to think it, Lily could wait.

His posture became rigid when he heard footsteps coming down the hall. He listened intently to who was talking:

"—shagging another girl, are we? And on the day of our exams!"

"Yeah, mate. Who knew? Guess today is my lucky day."

"Lucky bastard. I wish I was blessed with good looks like yours."

The other boy answered with a laugh. "Not _my_ fault you weren't."

"You're a pretentious little bastard as well, eh?" That comment was followed by what sounded like a mild jab in the arm.

"Ow! Mate, just because I don't have good looks doesn't mean I don't have good physique! I need my Quidditch body intact!"

Severus saw the two boys come into view, and he saw that it was Rosier bragging to Avery about how he took yet another clueless girl to bed.

"So, who was it, Rosier?"

"Some girl in Ravenclaw. Don't remember her name, though."

"'Course you don't. You _never_ do." He paused. "Think Snape shagged the Mudblood yet?" he whispered conspiratorially. Severus barely stopped himself from tackling both of those fuckers to the ground. He managed to keep his cool. _You're an adult. Don't beat them for petty things. You're better than that_. He was better than that. The two boys stopped in front of the stone patch.

"Nah. She's too good for'im."

"But she's a Mudblood!"

"And she's a _good_ -looking Mudblood. I'd shag'er myself if Snape hadn't already laid claim to'er!"

"She's smart, mate. She's a Mudblood, but she's smart. She'd never get into bed with you, even if Snape wasn't in the picture."

Both future Death Eaters laughed, Avery muttered the password ("serpens"), and they went inside. Severus waited for a full five minutes before he removed his Disillusionment Charm and went inside the common room.

"Hey, Snape! Shagged the Mudblood yet?" Rosier asked. It was time for Severus to assume his role and play it well.

He smirked.

Rosier's mouth dropped open. "Wait. Did you do it? Did you actually _shag_ her this time?"

"No," Severus replied smoothly. He decided to be crass with his next sentence, for he remembered how crass his teenage self was. Potter _did_ cast _Scourgify_ in his mouth for it many years ago. Severus also decided that it was a good idea to appeal to their disrespect and indifference to women.

"I, unlike _you_ twits, have better things to do than to go around shagging brainless _slags_ whenever I please."

"Like what?" Avery countered half-heartedly.

"Like preparing myself for servitude to the Dark Lord...getting in the Dark Lord's good graces….Those things."

"But you're only in fifth year, mate! Calm down!" Rosier replied.

Severus's expression turned into one of disdain. "Don't come crying to _me_ if the Dark Lord finds you unworthy of your servitude."

"Well—I— _you_ —" Rosier stammered indignantly.

"Spit it out, please. I haven't got all day."

"Never mind. _Merlin_ , Snape! You never used to be like...like _this_."

"Thanks for pointing out the _obvious_ , Rosier. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to study for tomorrow's Arithmancy practical." During the first time Severus was in school, Avery, Rosier, _and_ Mulciber had taken advantage of his intelligence. He certainly wasn't going to let them do that _this_ time, not when he was going to get mostly O's and E's.

He walked right past the two scumbags and went up to his dorm. As he was walking down the boys' hallway, he heard one of the berks mutter dismissively, "Isn't _he_ all high and mighty," followed by, "Yeah, what's happened?"

As soon as he entered his old dormitory, he assessed his surroundings. There were five beds, like he remembered. He also heard the familiar lapping of lakewater that usually lulled him to sleep at night. The dormitory had an aura of coziness about it that the other houses (to his knowledge) didn't. In the middle of the four beds, a magnificent, dark green rug lay on the stone with a silver trim. The windows on the walls made it so that a translucent, greenish light shone through the room. It also gave all the Slytherins a good view of the Giant Squid and the rest of the Great Lake. The windows were draped with velvety green curtains, which like the rug, had a silver trim.

Another thing the Slytherin dorm had was a small fireplace with an elegant mantelpiece surrounding it. The beds had fine silk curtains and the softest, most sturdy mattresses. _Bless Salazar Slytherin's penchant for luxury_ , Severus thought. It was probably his views on blood purity that made him want to treat his young Slytherins like royalty. Severus had always looked forward to going back to Hogwarts once he experienced the pure bliss he got just by laying down in his bed. It was definitely an upgrade to the _thing_ he slept on at home.

Quickly, Severus set about casting wards around his bed. Though he was going to play his part, he still needed his privacy. He couldn't have the likes of Mulciber or Avery snooping through his things. He made sure that the ward was a multi-layered one. Once he was finished, he opened his trunk (which was by the bed closest to the window). What he saw inside repulsed him as well as intrigued him.

 _There are quite a_ lot _of Dark Arts books in here_ , Severus thought. He picked up one ( _The Rise and the Fall of the Dark Arts_ ) and leafed through it. That was not a book he would discard. Severus knew that he certainly wouldn't practice the Dark Arts, but it was good to study them. He put it back in his trunk. Someday, he'd make Lily understand that the _study_ of Dark Arts wasn't harmful; only the _uses_ were. She was a very naïve girl for this reason. No matter how much he loved her, she was still clueless about the benefits the study of the Dark Arts gave you. It was essentially a _weapon_ for your own survival! If you had an extensive knowledge on the Dark Arts, you'd be able to defend yourself more easily!

Next, he picked up _The Dark Arts: A Legal Companion_. He wasn't sure how _this_ one ended up in his trunk. Last time he saw the book, it was on a shelf in Dumbledore's office. Oh, well. This one couldn't be discarded, either. It would be quite useful in the future, especially if he needed to deal with his housemates at any point. He placed the book next to _The Rise and the Fall of the Dark Arts_. Then he picked up _Magick Moste Evile_.

 _That_ was a book he'd be discarding for sure.

Dropping it on the floor, he cast a controlled _Incendio_ spell, and he watched emotionlessly as the book burned up and turned into ash. Silently, he Banished the remnants of the book, and he started looking through his trunk to see what other pathetic things he owned.

He picked up his gray knickers with disdain and cast _Scourgify_ on it. Instantly, it was the white that it once was when he first got them. Severus did the same things with his other clothes, and soon, he had a clean, respectable wardrobe.

Severus jumped as he heard more people coming into the dorm.

"Snape," Mulciber's voice greeted.

"Mulciber," was Severus's noncommittal reply. Another set of footsteps entered the room, and Severus looked behind him. He smiled freely at the sight of Wilkes; he was the only future Death Eater who _wasn't_ a berk, a person who shagged girls for fun, _or_ a person who casted Unforgivables on unsuspecting Gryffindors. He _did_ support Voldemort, but he was still sensible, not unlike Severus. He was studious at times, but he also played as Chaser for the Slytherin Quidditch Team alongside Avery, who played as a Beater. He was usually second or third in class, and he never really bullied anybody. Now that he thought about it, the gang of Slytherins Severus hung out with compared quite a bit to the Marauders (though he was utterly repulsed by this fact).

Mulciber and Avery were the Potters of the group: they were the ones who cast the first curse or uttered the first slur. They were the leaders in bullying Muggle-borns and half-bloods (luckily, none of them knew of Severus's blood status). Rosier was the Black of this group: he had the good looks and shagged all the girls who came his way. He was popular (in Slytherin House, at least) and he continually looked flawless from sunrise 'til sunset. Wilkes was the Lupin of the group: he was the sensible, quiet one who minded his own business and excelled in his classes (he was usually third or fourth, after Severus and Lily, of course), and he was the pragmatist and peacemaker. He openly supported Voldemort, but he didn't let that get in the way of his studies. In brains, Severus could've also been a Lupin in this group since none of them qualified as a Pettigrew. At least Severus could say that none of them were pathetic in anything. Severus scoffed inwardly to himself. Who knew he'd be comparing the Slytherin Gang to the Marauders? It was horribly ironic.

"Joseph," Severus greeted more genially. Wilkes was the only one whom he called by his first name.

"Severus," Wilkes reciprocated with a slight smile. They were the only ones in the dorm who didn't take advantage of one another. Severus had never told Lily about the one real friendship he had in Slytherin, for if she knew, she would've left him much sooner. Severus knew that, had Wilkes been raised differently, he would've _definitely_ been good friends with Lily, and they could have been a powerful trio similar to Potter, Weasley, and Granger.

The former spy genuinely hoped that he could try and convert Wilkes to the side of the good, for he had a great potential that could be used for better things than serving a so-called Dark Lord. He had the potential to be an excellent Auror or even an admirable Curse-Breaker. Severus and Wilkes shared almost all the same classes, one of which included Arithmancy. But Severus would make sure to not get his hopes up. Wilkes _was_ , after all, a pureblood, _and_ he was an only child. His parents were radical supporters of Lord Voldemort, and both his parents were Death Eaters. It would be very, _very_ difficult to bring Wilkes over to the side of the Light. In Severus's past life, Wilkes had been killed just before the First Wizarding War ended. It definitely caused Severus grief, but none of it could even _compare_ to the grief he harbored for Lily. Severus had gotten over Wilkes's death by the time six years passed. He could never get over Lily's.

The door opened once again, and Avery came in.

"Where's Rosier?" Severus asked.

"Off shagging another girl, I bet. Saw 'im sweet talking Emma Vanity a few minutes ago."

"Quidditch Captain? Lucky," Mulciber replied, sounding impressed.

Wilkes rolled his eyes and began changing into his pajamas. Severus did the same. Then, he got under his blanket on his bed. Before closing the curtains, he contemplated whether he should tell his dorm mates about the warding. He decided against it and closed the curtains. He'd probably tell Wilkes about it tomorrow.

With that in mind, he fell asleep.


	4. Author's Note

**Hey guys! For this story, I'm totally revamping it and changing the premise. The gist of it will be the same, but the relationships will be different. I'm going to change the title of this story and title the new story _Playing Pretend_ , since Severus will still be a teen spy with a rekindled friendship with Lily. The POVs will still be alternating, and Severus and Lily will still be the main characters. I'm so sorry if you guys wanted to see a Snily story, but after thinking over the ship, I realized that Severus would be more compatible with someone else as a romantic partner. Wilkes will still be friends with Severus and there will still be a Slytherin version of the Marauders, but no time travel will be involved.**

**Severus and Lily _will love each other_ , but not in the romantic or attraction sense. After writing my one-shot, _Zigeunerweisen_ , I realized that _that_ premise is _much_ more interesting that the classic Snily time travel and that Jily is not so bad. I think that James and Severus _can coexist_ with one another and work together. It just seems so much better than Lily cutting Severus off and never speaking to him again.**

**Again, I apologize profusely to those who wanted a Snily, but I'm just not feeling it for that ship anymore. I will be posting the unfinished chapter 4 for this story, and if anyone wants to adopt it afterwards, then be my guest! I'm sure there are loads of you out there who can write a much better and more convincing Snily than I can, and I wish any of you who decides to adopt this good luck!**

**Love you guys! Peace! ✌**

**-Glowstar826 🚀**


	5. The Horrors of Mary Macdonald

Lily had forgotten what a horror it was to share a room with Mary Macdonald.

Even though she was a Muggle-born like her _and_ was a victim to a vicious assault by Mulciber, she was still _the_ most pretentious, egotistical, and arrogant girl that almost _anyone_ would be better off not meeting. Lily vividly remembered thinking of how perfect James and Mary would be together before she took an interest in him herself. Now, after a full day of O.W.L. testing, she just _couldn't stop gushing over how pretty she looked_ and how her _looks_ would get James to finally take an interest in her. On top of that, she had decided to make Lily a victim to her ramblings. She felt like screaming, "That's my _husband_ you're talking about!" but then it would arouse suspicion, of course.

Lily knew that she had to pretend that she still hated James with her very being, but she just found it _so hard_ to. He was sweet and kind and chivalrous, and, after getting to know him some more, she realized that he actually _was_ capable of deflating himself. He certainly showed that during seventh year when he stopped hexing Severus for the fun of it. Not that she had cared, then. She had been childishly avoiding her former friend and refused to even speak to him. Well, not that she had to that, either. He never made any attempt to reconcile or talk to her. He just left her alone when she told him to. That was the one thing that she could count on Severus for. He'd listen to her when he was asked to do something the first time. He never had to have instructions repeated to him unless they were discussing his Death Eater friends.

If only she could just cast _Silencio_ on Mary, then she would be able to be alone with her thoughts. With a realization, Lily face-palmed herself. Why hadn't she thought of that _earlier_? She wasn't as good with nonverbal spells, so she whispered, " _Silencio_." With Mary silent, she went back to where she left off with her thoughts. She ignored Mary's silent protests.

Lily had trouble thinking about the fact that Severus had come up to her earlier today and told her, with _out_ any comment from her whatsoever, that he was secretly breaking off from his friends in Slytherin. That in itself was very, _very_ suspicious. She'd have to prod information out of him and ask him what suddenly changed his mind when she got the chance. Again, she was desperately hoping that he didn't die and that this was actually the sixteen-year-old boy who just happened to mature a little (or a _lot_ ). It just wouldn't be fair if his life was cut short. Or would it?

 _Serves him right for joining the Death Eaters_ , an evil voice told Lily.

 _NO!_ Lily shouted back. _Severus didn't know the difference. It wasn't his fault_.

 _You're now making excuses to your_ self _? That's rich,_ the evil voice replied.

 _Shut up!_ Lily said to her brain, and her evil voice stopped talking. She had been hoping that she could talk to Severus for a while longer, but he said that he had to study for Charms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **This story is officially up for adoption. Adios.**


End file.
